evolution and ethics and other essays-第14章

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made　of。

What　then　becomes　of　karma？　Karma　remains　untouched。　As　the　peculiar
form　of　energy　we　call　magnetism　may　be　transmitted　from　a　loadstone
to　a　piece　of　steel；　from　the　steel　to　a　piece　of　nickel；　as　it　may　be
strengthened　or　weakened　by　the　conditions　to　which　it　is　subjected
while　resident　in　each　piece；　so　it　seems　to　have　been　conceived　that
karma　might　be　transmitted　from　one　phenomenal　association　to　another
by　a　sort　of　induction。　However　this　may　be；　Gautama　doubtless　had　a
better　guarantee　for　the　abolition　of　transmigration；　when　no　wrack　of
substance；　either　of　Atman　or　of　Brahma；　was　left　behind；　when；　in
short；　a　man　had　but　to　＇68＇　dream　that　he　willed　not　to　dream；　to　put
an　end　to　all　dreaming。

This　end　of　life's　dream　is　Nirvana。　What　Nirvana　is　the　learned　do
not　agree。　But；　since　the　best　original　authorities　tell　us　there　is
neither　desire　nor　activity；　nor　any　possibility　of　phenomenal
reappearance　for　the　sage　who　has　entered　Nirvana；　it　may　be　safely
said　of　this　acme　of　Buddhistic　philosophy〃the　rest　is　silence。〃

＇Note　9＇　Thus　there　is　no　very　great　practical　disagreement　between
Gautama　and　his　predecessors　with　respect　to　the　end　of　action；　but　it
is　otherwise　as　regards　the　means　to　that　end。　With　just　insight　into
human　nature；　Gautama　declared　extreme　ascetic　practices　to　be　useless
and　indeed　harmful。　　The　appetites　and　the　passions　are　not　to　be
abolished　by　mere　mortification　of　the　body；　they　must；　in　addition；
be　attacked　on　their　own　ground　and　conquered　by　steady　cultivation　of
the　mental　habits　which　oppose　them；　by　universal　benevolence；　by　the
return　of　good　for　evil；　by　humility；　by　abstinence　from　evil　thought；
in　short；　by　total　renunciation　of　that　self…assertion　which　is　the
essence　of　the　cosmic　process。

Doubtless；　it　is　to　these　ethical　qualities　that　Buddhism　owes　its
marvellous　success。＇Note　10＇　A　system　which　knows　no　God　in　the
western　sense；　which　denies　a　soul　to　man；　which　counts　the　belief　in
immortality　a　blunder　and　the　hope　of　it　a　sin；　＇69＇　which　refuses　any
efficacy　to　prayer　and　sacrifice；　which　bids　men　look　to　nothing　but
their　own　efforts　for　salvation；　which；　in　its　original　purity；　knew
nothing　of　vows　of　obedience；　abhorred　intolerance；　and　never　sought
the　aid　of　the　secular　arm；　yet　spread　over　a　considerable　moiety　of
the　Old　World　with　marvellous　rapidity；　and　is　still；　with　whatever
base　admixture　of　foreign　superstitions；　the　dominant　creed　of　a　large
fraction　of　mankind。

Let　us　now　set　our　faces　westwards；　towards　Asia　Minor　and　Greece　and
Italy；　to　view　the　rise　and　progress　of　another　philosophy；　apparently
independent；　but　no　less　pervaded　by　the　conception　of　evolution。＇Note
11＇

The　sages　of　Miletus　were　pronounced　evolutionists；　and；　however　dark
may　be　some　of　the　sayings　of　Heracleitus　of　Ephesus；　who　was　probably
a　contemporary　of　Gautama；　no　better　expressions　of　the　essence　of　the
modern　doctrine　of　evolution　can　be　found　than　are　presented　by　some
of　his　pithy　aphorisms　and　striking　metaphors。　＇Note　12＇　Indeed；　many

of　my　present　auditors　must　have　observed　that；　more　than　once；　I　have
borrowed　from　him　in　the　brief　exposition　of　the　theory　of　evolution
with　which　this　discourse　commenced。

But　when　the　focus　of　Greek　intellectual　activity　shifted　to　Athens；
the　leading　minds　＇70＇　concentrated　their　attention　upon　ethical
problems。　　Forsaking　the　study　of　the　macrocosm　for　that　of　the
microcosm；　they　lost　the　key　to　the　thought　of　the　great　Ephesian；
which；　I　imagine；　is　more　intelligible　to　us　than　it　was　to　Socrates；
or　to　Plato。　Socrates；　more　especially；　set　the　fashion　of　a　kind　of
inverse　agnosticism；　by　teaching　that　the　problems　of　physics　lie
beyond　the　reach　of　the　human　intellect；　that　the　attempt　to　solve
them　is　essentially　vain；　that　the　one　worthy　object　of　investigation
is　the　problem　of　ethical　life；　and　his　example　was　followed　by　the
Cynics　and　the　later　Stoics。　Even　the　comprehensive　knowledge　and　the
penetrating　intellect　of　Aristotle　failed　to　suggest　to　him　that　in
holding　the　eternity　of　the　world；　within　its　present　range　of
mutation；　he　was　making　a　retrogressive　step。　The　scientific　heritage
of　Heracleitus　passed　into　the　hands　neither　of　Plato　nor　of
Aristotle；　but　into　those　of　Democritus。　But　the　world　was　not　yet
ready　to　receive　the　great　conceptions　of　the　philosopher　of　Abdera。
It　was　reserved　for　the　Stoics　to　return　to　the　track　marked　out　by
the　earlier　philosophers；　and；　professing　themselves　disciples　of
Heracleitus；　to　develop　the　idea　of　evolution　systematically。　In　doing
this；　they　not　only　omitted　some　characteristic　features　of　their
master's　teaching；　but　they　made　additions　altogether　foreign　to　it。
One　of　the　most　influential　of　these　importations　was　the
transcendental　＇71＇　theism　which　had　come　into　vogue。　The　restless；
fiery　energy；　operating　according　to　law；　out　of　which　all　things
emerge　and　into　which　they　return；　in　the　endless　successive　cycles　of
the　great　year；　which　creates　and　destroys　worlds　as　a　wanton　child
builds　up；　and　anon　levels；　sand　castles　on　the　seashore；　was
metamorphosed　into　a　material　world…soul　and　decked　out　with　all　the
attributes　of　ideal　Divinity；　not　merely　with　infinite　power　and
transcendent　wisdom；　but　with　absolute　goodness。

The　consequences　of　this　step　were　momentous。　For　if　the　cosmos　is　the
effect　of　an　immanent；　omnipotent；　and　infinitely　beneficent　cause；
the　existence　in　it　of　real　evil；　still　less　of　necessarily　inherent
evil；　is　plainly　inadmissible。　＇Note　13＇　Yet　the　universal　experience
of　mankind　testified　then；　as　now；　that；　whether　we　look　within　us　or
without　us；　evil　stares　us　in　the　face　on　all　sides；　that　if　anything
is　real；　pain　and　sorrow　and　wrong　are　realities。

It　would　be　a　new　thing　in　history　if　a　priori　philosophers　were
daunted　by　the　factious　opposition　of　experience；　and　the　Stoics　were
the　last　men　to　allow　themselves　to　be　beaten　by　mere　facts。　〃Give　me
a　doctrine　and　I　will　find　the　reasons　for　it；〃　said　Chrysippus。　So
they　perfected；　if　they　did　not　invent；　that　ingenious　and　plausible
form　of　pleading；　the　Theodicy；　for　the　purpose　of　showing　firstly；
that　there　is　no　such　＇72＇　thing　as　evil；　secondly；　that　if　there　is；
it　is　the　necessary　correlate　of　good；　and；　moreover；　that　it　is
either　due　to　our　own　fault；　or　inflicted　for　our　benefit。　Theodicies
have　been　very　popular　in　their　time；　and　I　believe　that　a　numerous；
though　somewhat　dwarfed；　progeny　of　them　still　survives。　So　far　as　I
know；　they　are　all　variations　of　the　theme　set　forth　in　those　famous
six　lines　of　the　〃Essay　on　Man；〃　in　which　Pope　sums　up　Bolingbroke's
reminiscences　of　stoical　and　other　speculations　of　this　kind

　　　　〃All　nature　is　but　art；　unknown　to　thee；
　　　　　All　chance；　direction　which　thou　canst　not　see；
　　　　　All　discord；　harmony　not　understood；
　　　　　All　partial　evil；　universal　good；
　　　　　And　spite　of　pride；　in　erring　reason's　spite；
　　　　　One　truth　is　clear：　whatever　is　is　right。〃

Yet；　surely；　if　there　are　few　more　important　truths　than　those
enunciated　in　the　first　triad；　the　second　is　open　to　very　grave
objections。　That　there　is　a　〃soul　of　good　in　things　evil〃　is
unquestionable；　nor　will　any　wise　man　deny　the　disciplinary　value　of
pain　and　sorrow。　But　these　considerations　do　not　help　us　to　see　why
the　immense　multitude　of　irresponsible　sentient　beings；　which　cannot
profit　by　such　discipline；　should　suffer；　nor　why；　among　the　endless
possibilities　open　to　omnipotencethat　of　sinless；　happy　existence
among　the　restthe　actuality　in　which　sin　and　misery　abound　should　be
that　selected。

＇73＇　Surely　it　is　mere　cheap　rhetoric　to　call　arguments　which　have
never　yet　been　answered　by　even　the　meekest　and　the　least　rational　of
Optimists；　suggestions　of　the　pride　of　reason。　As　to　the　concluding
aphorism；　its　fittest　place　would　be　as　an　inscription　in　letters　of
mud　over　the　portal　of　some　〃stye　of　Epicurus〃＇Note　14＇；　for　that　is
where　the　logical　application　of　it　to　practice　would　land　men；　with
every　aspiration　stifled　and　every　effort　paralyzed。　Why　try　to　set
right　what　is　right　already？　Why　strive　to　improve